Reading the Fine Print...

[JR Swift]

Random thoughts since I seem to just feel like posting all day (watching the clock countdown)...

I read a lot of people online who are very upset about getting a smoking/nonsmoking, king/two queen, bad view room when that isn't what they requested. Well...uh, as they say in the fine print, it is just a request. Obviously, if there are 1000 people who want king/smoking rooms with great views next to the elevator and there are only 100 of those rooms, somebody is going to be disappointed...no matter how many 20's they slip the desk clerk. You can up your odds of success by looking around a bit. A few hotels have a much larger number of nonsmoking rooms for instance than others...but there aren't going to be any guarantees...particulary when the hotel is full.

Some hotels get a really bad rap on some of the websites and I guess it is because some people are a lot pickier than I am. Heck...a hotel would have to be pretty filthy not to be an improvement over my normal living conditions. OK...I'm a slob. But people complaining about not getting great maid service while they are staying at a hotel confuse me. Do these people really scrub their toilets and change their sheets every day? Now...if it's someone else's filth, that's different...but, if it is just my own, I kind of like it.

That brings me to service. Yeah...I know...service just ain't what it used to be...or is it? I work in a service industry (retail) and I can tell you that there are as many "bad" customers as employees. I would say that 95% of an employees' time serving the customer is spent with the 5% of the customers who "seem" to have so many problems. Granted, the customer is always right...but if the customer servant seems a little harried or grumpy, keep in mind what he or she may have just had to deal with. A little kindness goes a long way...on both sides. And the worst complaints seem to come from people who expect the world...but don't want to pay for it. A massive hotel complex, no matter how much staff, has to be a nightmare to operate. Communication is absolutely key and is the easiest piece of the puzzle that can get lost. Many of the employees are recent immigrants (how many of your neighbors aspire to be maids?) and it must be very difficult sometimes both for them and their managers. Mistakes will be made and bad employees will be hired...hopefully someone who can fix problems will get the message and do so...but, sadly, it doesn't always happen.

OK...how does this really relate to Las Vegas...well, if there is any place on earth that has a larger service industry, I don't know where it is. And it really can't be easy to find good people to fill all those jobs when the talent is spread so thin. People (and hotels) make compromises just to put people in the uniforms and they have to...sad, but true. It must, at times, be an absolutely thankless job.

So...I guess I just wanted to rant on those topics because maybe it will help a few people understand the bad things that sometimes happen. Is it an excuse? No...but it is an explanation. I'm sure there are places it rarely does and those places are typically pretty pricey (Four Seasons, Hyatt, Marriott?)...you do get what you pay for sometimes. Anywhere else, you are making compromises of one sort or another...price, location, attractions, etc. Keep that in mind and it is much easier to just enjoy yourself and let the small stuff go. I haven't always stayed in the finest hotels in Las Vegas but I've always enjoyed myself and rarely had a problem that wasn't manageable. You're on vacation...relax.

Hope I didn't step on too many toes with all this "stuff"...frankly, most of the comments apply more to things I've read on other boards or comment areas (tripadvisor, las vegas online, etc.) much more than to the vast majority of people here...who are almost all extremely friendly and helpful...even to people they've never met or even heard of before.

For what it's worth...

 

[Jen1995]

A good read JR. Many good points. Actually, kinda put things into perspective after a long week.

 

[YoungGun]

Good points. I've become a big Bill Maher fan watching his show on HBO and reading his book. While I don't always agree with his politics, I think he nails it when he speaks about how a sense of entitlement is keeping our country from what it could be. I'm completely shocked sometimes by the way people will treat service industry workers. I was raised better than to yell and curse at those there to serve me.

Conversly, I think the corporate mentality of a lot of businesses adds to this as well. The truth is: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Even if it is completely their fault, companies will not compensate you unless you are very persistant and vocal about your complaints. My friend works customer relations at a big resort and he often gets discouraged because, per company policy, the people that complain politely get little more than an apology, while the big scene makers will get anything they want.

In addition, a lot of companies would rather try to "bribe" a customer rather than attempt to fix a problem. For example, if you have a concern at a restaurant, they are more likely to comp your meal or otherwise give you something so you'll go away as opposed to trying to resolve the problem. Where my friend works, they are trained to give away almost anything a customer demands before letting them fill out a complaint form so that the big bosses and shareholders will be given the impression that all is right. As a result you get lots of people trying to abuse the system because they know they can get freebies for complaining and also a lot of problems never get the attention they deserve.

 

[Tx_boxing_guy]

Hello to all, first time topost. Like everyone here I love Vegas. JR, that was a great post. I think those are real issues that are always brought up in the forum. And sometimes in my opinion we go on vacation and become "lil divas". Because going to Vegas everyone is catering to you, carrying your bags, making your bed and bringing you drinks. That when something like the maid never brough us enough towels or we had to walk an extra 12 steps for the ice machine seem pretty trivial.On the other hand the little things that people do post, is what I find very interesting in their personal trip reports. I just believe after several trips to Vegas that you always find something that will not be as good, or enough as the "last time".

 

[flexodog]

For a perspective on customer complaints,check out TripAdvisor.com and look particularly at room reviews.First off,so many people complain about the most insignificant things that shouldn't really impact their vacation.Moreover,you can easily tell by the tone of the posts that they often have little regard for the low paid people whose job it is to serve them.I have always found that a smile,consideration and kindness, not to mention decent tipping,go such a long way.There's a lot of people who need to just stop a minute and walk a mile in the other person's shoes to make places like Vegas even that much better for everyone concerned.